Sunday, December 9, 2007

Ambitionz Az a Writer

filed under: james baldwin, joan didion, richard wright, the noir album

This has been the weakest week of Furthermucker since the beginning; many sincere apologies. But, I’ve been avidly at work on my next book, and I’ve even got a little of it to share in this space: just click here. What I’m working on is pretty much a creative nonfiction memoir about life in Paris following in the footsteps of James Baldwin, Richard Wright and Chester Himes but (of course) with the prerequisite hiphop generation twist. It’s equally as much about life for people of color in France – the Africans from countries colonized by the French; the Antilles islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe and Haiti – and how their cultures impact French culture (which, again, ain’t a conversation you can have without discussing French hiphop). The tentative title is The Noir Album, named in a nod to The White Album by Joan Didion (my idol, ha), Prince’s infamous The Black Album, and Jay-Z’s as well, hell. Enjoy this 1,800 words and please, feed back feedback.

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Comments

Makkada at 6:10 PM on 12/09/07:

a book exploring african americans’ franco connections is great. i like how in this excerpt we experience a few different settings… would have liked more details and sense of place in the meeting with Jaques over cocktails (even though you say you didn’t remember much.)

it would be interesting to present some of Christine’s family tree over the course of the book as well because many african americans aren’t familiar with afro-francians history and how it relates to us

MML at 9:58 PM on 12/09/07:

thanks makkada. i wrote in more detail about meeting my grandfather for the first time in my first book, ‘scars of the soul are why kids wear bandages when they don’t have bruises.’ and christine’s fam is all up in the book later on, without a doubt.

Niven at 9:45 AM on 12/10/07:

this is excellent…and much needed. the premise excites, the writing hits all the spots. cannot wait for the full book…

Shawn Taylor at 6:00 PM on 12/10/07:

Wow. That made me feel as if I were in Paris again. We need more travel/social context/psychogeography stories from all over our diaspora. Speaking of…Miles, I want to speak to you about something, off-line. Hit me when you get the chance.

Shawn

MML at 12:01 PM on 12/11/07:

thanks niven! shawn, let’s exchange digits and rap this week then…

brook stephenson at 10:30 PM on 12/17/07:

ah…the memoir…in the process of one myself… write, walk away, read, edit, walk away and then write, walk away, read, edit, walk away and…you know…

do that ish

Samantha at 7:29 PM on 12/20/07:

Sounds good I’m a fan of Didion, so I’ll be interested to read The Noir Album…

MML at 12:33 AM on 12/23/07:

hope you enjoy it, samantha. i’m chasing a summer 2009 release date right now. love your blog ‘the real gist’, by the way. it’s like mine in reverse: a european takes on NYC!

Matt C. at 2:33 PM on 12/27/07:

MML, this is a furthermucker of a beginning. So don’t louse it up. :]

MML at 11:14 PM on 01/08/08:

thanks matt. i’m trying every day not to fuck up…